R.G. Kar: Doctor’s association announces nationwide hunger strike on 9 Oct

In a move to support the ongoing protest against the alleged rape and murder of a junior doctor in West Bengal, the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) on Monday, 7 October, announced a nationwide hunger strike.

The doctors' association held a meeting on Monday and announced that the hunger strike will begin on Wednesday, which will be two months from the day the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor at R.G. Kar Medical College in West Bengal happened on 9 August.

"We have been in close contact with the West Bengal Junior Doctors' Front and are united in our stance," said Suvrankar Datta, president of FAIMA.

"After extensive deliberation, we have decided to organise a nationwide hunger strike in solidarity with our colleagues in West Bengal," Datta said.

Datta also emphasised that the hunger strike is intended to amplify the voices of the junior doctors who have been on strike for weeks, advocating for better working conditions, enhanced safety protocols, and other essential reforms.

The doctors' association has also called on healthcare workers across the country to participate in the strike, to highlight unity among medical professionals in their fight for fair treatment and improved conditions, FAIMA said in a statement.

Urging the junior doctors to return to work, chief secretary Manoj Pant said that 90 per cent of the ongoing projects undertaken at medical colleges in the state would be completed by next month.

"I am requesting everyone to come back to work and give services to the people. Some of them already have. We are all working towards improving the environment. They (junior medics) will appreciate that very good progress has been made on the promises made by the government," he said at the state secretariat.

"I will request them all to join duties. What they want is a safer environment and we are working towards that. There is a positive intent from everybody's side. There is no difference of opinion so far as over larger objective is concerned," he added.

Pant held a meeting with health secretary N.S. Nigam and representatives of various medical colleges.

The health parameters of the medics who are on fast are under watch, one of the agitating doctors said.

"They have been fasting for over 50 hours. This may hamper their health and we do not want to take any chance. The West Bengal government will be held responsible in case of any fatality," he said.

The agitating doctors alleged the police were not allowing them to set up bio-toilets at the protest site in Dorina Crossing in Dharmatala. In the evening, they gheraoed the Bowbazar police station, alleging that chairs and beds hired for the protest site were seized.

After nearly an hour-long wrangle, the doctors were allowed to take the beds and chairs. They then carried those on their heads and walked to the protest site.